Christmas bells were ringing at the Jailhouse hostel in Chistchurch. Actually an old converted jail, the hostel itself was decked with Christmas cheer and a potluck dinner was in store for Christmas Eve. Everyone was to bring a dish from their culture and all the hostel inmates would share their cultured cuisine! Jeff and I of course hit up the free food bins and found just the odds and ends necessary to whip together a spread. Some cheese, a head of cabbage, lentils, soy sauce and half a loaf of bread... Grilled cheese and sautéed cabbage and lentils it is! So American. And there wasn't a bite left at the end of dinner! During the day we busied ourselves with doing as little as possible after getting our resupply done. We had planned on meeting up with some fellow Te Araroa hikers but their hostel was on the other side of town and the last thing a hiker want to do on a day off is walk. Alas, we ended up with a whole bottle of rum (intended for scorpion bowls) and just brought that to the dinner table as well. Dinner was full of conversation and dishes from people around the world. Families, college students and vagabonds alike all gathered in the cozy center of the old jail and feasted like the whoos in whooville. (Sp?) the evening of course culminated in me acting out 'Twas the Night Before Christmas for our neighbors at the table and retiring happily to our jail cell. Christmas Day we busied ourselves with FaceTiming family and watching movies at the hostel film area before Sadie and Fi graciously came and picked us up again. They brought us back to their farm for some Christmas cookies and wine before bed. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!